Apparatus for handling and processing photographic material



June 7, 1960 P. WEISHAUPT APPARATUS FOR HANDLING AND PROCESSING PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL Filed Dec. 2l, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 wvl-:mon PAUL wslsHAuPT ATTORNEY.

P. WEISHAUPT June 7, 1960 APPARATUS FOR HANDLING AND PROCESSING PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL Filed Dec. 2l. 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR PAUL WEISHAUPT ATTORNEY.

v June 7, 1960 P. wElsHAUPT APPARATUS FOR HANDLING AND PROCESSING PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL Filed Dec. 21, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 8.

INVENTOR PAUL WEISHAUPT ATTORNEY.

P. WEISHAUPT APPARATUS F OR HANDLING AND PROCESSING PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL Filed Dec. 21, 1956 17g.;1 lo.

4 sheets-sheet 4 FIG. ll.

PAUL WEISHAUPT ATTORNEY.

iiiteti States APPARATUS 'FOR HANDLING ANDV PROCESSING PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL Paul wezshupt, Bahnhofstr. 2, oberburfgturgdorf, Switzerland The present invention relates to an'fapparatus `for and a method of handling and processing photographicima- 'terial, particularly for the developmentof roll films. De-

velopment equipment is .already .in use .in Vwhich Lthe photographic material is vmoved throughseveral tanks arranged one after'another, by .conveyormeans comprising a horizontal Yand -a vertical conveyor. VA common container having partition walls houses .theqdiierent tanks. The conveyor means e'itherpassthrough y.these Atanks or they are mounted on top or'.them, so that "the :space above the Lcontaineris also .completely Vfilled out. Such an arrangement has various disadvantages. 'fOn'ithe one hand, the different tanks cannot be exchanged :or :cleaned `individually,fand'on .the other hand, .the conveyor meansabove thetankzmake it diidcultito carry out necessary examinations or Vsingle and test'developments. .Fur- Athermore, it is not possible ato adjust the apparatus from -blackandwhte development which requires a few :tanks vonly, to A'color development.

Itis therefore, `one object of :the Y,present invention to leliminate these deficiencies andl to :provide an .apparatus which requires a minimum number of construction elements and smallest possible oor space, and at the .-same time renders highest possible output and allows for completely automatic handling of the photographic material to be processed. This is accomplished in such a manner zthat the elements, forming the conveyor means, are mounted on the rear side of and above the tanks and .in

. thatfthe :tanks form individual separate containers, so

--that A-the .rfnont of :the apparatus is easily accessible and the :dierent containers are individually removable. Througlivmeansof suitabie couplingcdevices on the vertical conveyor and :co-operating coupling means on the material carriers, transfer ofthe material carriers from the horizontal vconveyor to the vertical conveyor and vice y.-fersais accomplished. The photographic material to be `.processed is attached to suitable carriers and Astacked in a loading station vat the dont Aend vof the apparatus. Itis 'then automatically received by the conveyor means and 4passed through the different tanks at the required 'speed :which is adjustable. At the end of the process, the maiterial is stored in a deliveryI .station at the end of the apparatus. j

`It is' another' object of the present invention to provide the'vertical .conveyor with controllable clamping devices for the material carriers and control .members Vfor `clamping devices are iai-ranged atthe points of trans- "arent `'clamping devices and theclamps, ixedlym'ounted control members, `as for instance cams, stops, guides, or the like fare provided on both ysides ofthe chain forming the vertical conveyor. At the upper point of reversal of'each 5 verticalconveyor, a glide member is vprovided on a pivotable -arm and, receivesthe incoming clamping devices which byfmaintaining their vertical attitude are transferred to the downward' movingstrand of the conveyor. With theseand other objects in view which will'become :apparcntin the'ffollowing detailed description, the present invention Will beclearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhi'oh:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the apv`"parts on an 'enlarged-scale; LFig. Slis -a diagrammatic illustration of a part of the l\tan`ks, ofthe horizontal and of the vertical conveyor;

:Eerffrom the horizontal vto the vertical conveyorsand vice versa. For each horizontal 'conveyor several separate -vertical 'conveyorsmay be provided comprising'an endless fchain having clamping devices and being arranged within Ethe contours of the'inividual tanks. f

. it is lyet-another object ofthe present invention `to form Vaerial. fI-o 'control the -compression members of the l Fig. 9-isaside-elevation of another yembodiment shown inlFig. f8, fpartly in section;

Fig. l0 is a front view of a `clamping device provided Fon the vertical conveyor -as used-in the embodiment accordin'g to Fig. 8;

Fig. lll isla side view of the clamping device Vimmedi- 'ately before receiving the material carrier;

Fig. Al2 is 'a topplan view ofthe arrangement shown in `l0;`*and' y Fig. 13 is a diagrammatic illustration of the point of `transfer'of the material carrier Vvfrom the horizontal to the Vvertical conveyor. 'f

Y Referring now to'the drawings-and in' particular `to the embodiment disclosed in Figs. 1 to 7, individually -replaceable tanks 1, L3-'arid 4 are used. The tank 1 contains *the developing agent,'the'tank 2 serves'as a ilushing basin having spray lnozzles 34, the tank 3 is the fixing bathand 'the tank 4 is the washing container.

The horizontal-conveyor is mounted immediately above =.the tanks 1, 2, 3 `and 4, and comprises Itwo transport chains 12, ropes, or the like which pass over guide rollers 13 and which are driven by a suitable power source at 'uniform speed. The horizontal conveyor ybrings about the Amovement 'of the `material through the tanks. The vertical conveyor receives the material at the end of each itank to lift it out and to dip it into .the following tank. This conveyor is formed of an endless transport chain 5 and arranged on the rear side of the tanks. The'chain.

5 is provided `with Vcatches '6 for the material carriers 7 and passes over guide wheels 14. It moves7 at the 'points of transfer, up and down between the dilierent tanks -according to the length of the lm to be developed.

The conveyors 5 and L2 are driven at any required speed by an electric motor 9 which, through Aa gear unit 11, also drives "a fan 1() accommodated in the drying chamber 26. A wall '26a separates the gear unit rand the drive means from the rest of the .drying chamber 26.

The material carriers comprise substantially rods 7 which Aare bent at one end as at AS, to which the material .to be processed, as, for instance, a roll iilm 23, isfastened by means -of clamps 22 (see also Fig. 4). At the .lower 'end of the .lms weights 24 are attached to hold the iilrns taut. Y

The catches for the material carriers 7, arranged on the vertical conveyor 5 substantially comprise tube- -shaped membersv 6 which pivot about pins 31 on the apparatus. VIt comprises two inclined guides 15 provided with stops V16vat -their llower jend. Ong the -upperside Vofthe tank -1,=and in 'particular near its front wall, a shaft 17 is journalled in vbrackets25 1-"figs: 5 -7) kwhich at itsbent-overend 17 carriesa weight 1 9-.and which Y A loading station for the material carriers 7 and the films to be developed is provided at the one end of the is provided with jaw's-Y 18 Von bothgsides Vof thehoifiziontal conveyor VYchains 12; In front ,of-jandparallelftqthe shaftY 17 another shaft 3 3 is Yj oiirnalled in'bean'ngs' 32.V On both sides of the guides 15jthefshaft 1:53V has `levers Y20 with bent-over ends, Awhichare pivotably connected tothe jaws 18 on the shaft 17 jthroughmeans of links 21. Y

Any number of-materialV carriers 7-is placed o ne after the other on the guides 15.` They slide downto the stop 16. For the beginning. the operator has to lift the foremost carrier 7 beyond the stops 16 and place'itinto the jaws 18. The carrier is`thus reach of the up`- ward movingV catch 6 of the transport 'chain 5; indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5. f

As soon as the catch 6 has received the partS, the

upward movement lifts the carrier 7. In doing so, the

jaws 18 are moved upward in clockwise direction into a position 18a, illustrated by dotted lines in Fig; 5', against the action of the weight 19. VIn'this position the carrier 7 leaves the`jaws 18 again.

' During their upwardmovement the jaws `18,:th1'ough means of the links 21, have moved the lever 20 into 4a position 20a, enabling the leverto lift the next carrier 7 over the stops 16 (position 7a). The weight 19 returns the jaws 18 and the other members into their initial position. The carrier 7, lifted over the stops 16, reaches the armed levers 79, 8 1 li ft the material carrier 7 over the stops 78 to place them within reach of the clamping devices A provided 'on the vertical conveyor 45.

The chain 45 of the different vertical conveyors which Vare arranged on the' rear side of the tanks pass over sprockets 68 journalled onbrackets 67 and are driven either separatelyor together). from a suitable source (not shown)." f 'n 'Y Y According to Figs. 10'tor12 the clamping devices A pivotally mounted on a shaft 53 on the chain comprise a member 50 integral with the plate'49. The member 50 accommodates a slide 5 2 forced outwardly by a compression spring 51. A llared bore v5' 7 is provided which receives the bent-over part `8 ofthecarrier 7. -The slide 52 subjected to the action of the spring 51 is angled and protrudes into the open passagev of the bore 57 so'that it grips the part 8 of the carrier 7 whenthis is in the bore 57 through means Yof the spring 51. AOn the other hand,

as shown in IFi'g. l0`, the slide- 52 extends for a certain length, laterally beyond the bracket50. On this side, the

I At the lower Yend-the plate49V has' a recess in Y whicha clamp55V subjected to the actionof a compresextendingarms enclosing the conveyor chain V451from 'horizontal conveyor 12 and is passedinto the' jaws V1S. i

The catch 6 arriving at the chain 5 then causes operation of the apparatus as described above until all ofthe material carriers 7 "loaded on the guides 15- have YVbeen handled.: M r

One .after theV other, the material carriers 7 with the lms are passed down again by the downward moving strand ofthe chain 5. `The films are immersed into the tankuntilthe carrier 7 comes to rest on the horizontal transport chain.V 12. Theseretain the carrierV andthe catch 6 leaves the part 8 of the carrier 7, which is now horizontally moved by the conveyors 12 and the lms V23 fastened to the carrier 7 pass through the tank.

' At the end of each tank transfer means17, 18,Y 19V 'are mounted, passing each material carrier 7 to the vertical conveyor 5 and lifting the'tilms out Vof the tank.

After having vbeen moved through the last tank, the developed and washed lms are moved by the horizontal `conveyor 12 through a door 29 or the like into the chamto.l employ more than one vertical conveyor 5. At Yeach pointof'transfer from one bath to the other, aswell as at the front and at the end ofthe apparatus a vertical conveyor is arranged, formed by an end-less chain 45.'

both sides. 'Y ,The .clamp 55 .prevents the pivoting move- Vment of the plate 49 around the pin 53.

- 1n-,Figs 1o and 11 the ciampingdevice Ain-shown inla'position immediatelybefore receiving a material carrier 7. Together withgthe'l chain 45 the" clamping device is moved in theV directionofthe arrow;V `Below the carrier'7, partl 8 Yof which being. exaotlyin the Vlongitudinal vaxisfof the bore57,;the.-slide`v 5 21abutsagainst -a ixeldly mounted control member 65'and is1pressed back Y ance. when the part 8 enters the bore/'57, a bar 47 subff The material Vcarriers 7 'to which the lilms23 are attached by means of clamps 22 (Fig.` 9) V'are moved bythe chains 12 of the horizontal conveyor in the direction'of the.arrow within reach of the upward movingstandof theV vertical conveyor 45, in the same manner as de Y I scribed above.V Here, they are retained'byxedly' mount- Ved stops-78 until the previous carrier V7 and its'films has moved away from the vertical conveyor far enough for the nextk carrier no t to ktouch the previous one. Below jected to the action of a spring 46V is provided above the horizontal conveyor. The carriers 7 -are placed beneath this bar 47 immediately beforeV being transferred to the vertical conveyor. WhenV the clamping device moves upwards, the carriers 7 are retained by this bar until the pressure of the spring 46 has been overcome.V The bar 47 may move upwards a little and isV then returned by the tension spring 46 to its original position. To'pass the clampsSS over the chain 45, or to liftthem off the chain, guidemeans 61, 62, 63, 64 are providedon both sides of -the chain 45 so that the clamp'SS is transferred into a position 55' and 55.only where the direction o movement of the chain 45 is reserved also. 1 i Within reach of the upper'sprocke`t`68 a slide 70 having a slot 77 s'journalled on a pivot arm.69 onfth'e bracket 67 to'. maintain vertical. attitude of the films 23 attached to the carrier-.Zat the upper point of reserval of the vertical conveyor 45. Theclamping device A 'with its pin'53 enters the'slot 77 of the slide 70 infront of the point of .reservaL Atheslile with it'slateral arms'enclos'- ingthe clamping. deviceAalso' from the sides. Upon further movement'of thetchairi 45 the slide 70'is seized by the clamping device A and transferred'from a position shown in Fig. 8 into a position 70'. The arm 69 pivots around'an axis 7 1.- It is subjectedv to the action of a leaf spring 74 which on the one side is iixedrto the slide-70 and on the other side is placed betweenlthebolt72 and the wheel 73. Y Them-m69 together fwith the ,leaf spring asas-,ars

74 fonns a double crank, the spring 74 tending to return the slide 70 to its original position as soon as the downward moving strand of the vertical conveyor 45 has removed the clamping device A from the slide. A stop 75 limits the return movement of the slide 70.

When the clamping device A has moved downward far enough -its slide 52 comes within reach of the control member 66. The slide abuts against this cam and is again displaced against a spring 51 so that the clamping device in the bore 57 releases the end 8 of the carrier 7. lf now the carrier 7 is placed on the horizontal conveyor l2 from above, the clamping device A provided on the vertical conveyor 45, moves out of reach of` the carrier 7. The carrier is transferred to the horizontal conveyor 12. At the same time the clamping device A -abuts against the control lever 81 (Fig. 13) of the double-armed lever 79, 81.

Against the action of the spring 82 the double-armed lever 79, 81 is moved along and its arm 79 lifts the following carrier 7 over the stop 78 so that the carrier 7 reaches the correct position (below the bar 47) for transfer to the vertical conveyor.

To protect the vertical conveyors and the complete mechanism of the apparatus against splashed liquids from the tanks,.a protective Wall 8S (Fig. 9) may be provided, covering the `Vertical conveyors and having slots or the like to allow for the. material carrier 7 to extend through theV Wall 85,

- Y While I haveV disclosed several embodiments of the present invent-ion, it is to be understood 'that these embodiments are given by exampleronly and not in a l-imiting sense, the scope of vthe present invention being determined by the objects and the claims.

I claim: o

l. An apparatus for handling and processing photographic material and developing roll lms, comprising a plurality of tanks complementary in number with that of the operations to be performed, separated from each other and individually removable, a loading station for said material to be developed arranged in front of and at the head of the irst of said tanks, a delivery station to receive said processed material arranged at the end `of the last of said tanks, a plurality of material carriers for the support of said material, a horizontal conveyor disposed in front of and in the rear of said tanks and supporting said material carriers for horizontal movement at a level above said tanks and passing said material through said tanks, a vertical conveyor immersing said material supported by said carriers into each of said tanks and lifting said material carriers from said horizontal conveyor at the end of each through said tanks, dipping said material again into fthe next adjacent of said tanks Vand depositing said material carriers to said horizontal conveyor, said vertical conveyor being mounted solely on the rear side of said tanks in order to provide laccess for the operator in front of said tanks, catches on said vertical conveyors seizing the rear end of said material carriers while supported by said horizontal conveyor, and means controlling said catches and said material carriers for disengagement of said material carriers from said catches at'the front end of each of said tanks causing seizure of said material carriers at the end of the run through each of said tanks to lift the material out of said tanks.

2. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, which includes a drying chamber disposed behind the last one of said ltanks and-enclosing said delivery station, and said horizontal conveyor extending into said drying chamber.

3. The apparatus, as set forth in claim l, wherein said vertical conveyor comprises a single endless transport chain having `a plurality of upwardly moving strands and a plurality of downwardly moving strands and provided with said catches for said material carriers, and a guide means for said transport chain, said guide means being disposed on the rear side of said tanks in a manner so thatv said transport chain is moved upwardlyandwdown wardly, respectively, at the point lof transfer from said loading station to the first of said tanks and at the point of transfer from one of said tanks to the next adjacent of said tanks and iinally behind the last' of said tanks, thereby lifting said material carriers together with said material attached thereto by said upwardly moving strand of said transport chain through means of said catches and lowering and thus immersing said material again into said tanks by said downwardly moving strand.

4. The apparatus, as set forth in: claim 1i, wherein said vertical conveyor comprises a plurality of different endless chains disposed on the rear side of said tanks said chains being provided with `said catches for said material carriers moving vertically up vand down, respectively, at the point of transfer from said loading station to the Vrst of said tanks and at the points of transfer from each 'of said tanks to the next adjacent of saidv tanks and behind .the last of said tanks.

5. An apparatus for handling and processing photographic material and developing roll films, comprising a plurality of tanks complementary in number with that of the operations to be performed, separated from each other and individually removable, av loading. station for said material to be developed arranged in front of. and at thehead of the iirst ofY said tanks,'a delivery station to receive said processed material arranged at the end of the last of said tanks, a plurality of material carriers for the support of said material, a horizontalconveyor disposed in front of. and in the rear of Ysaid tanksv and supporting said material carriers for horizontal movement at a levelv above said tanks and passing said material through said tanks, a vertical conveyorl immersing said material supported by said carriers into each of said tanks and lifting said material carriers yfrom said horizontal conveyor at the end of each runthrough said tanks, dipping said material again into the next adjacent of said tanks and depositing said material carriers to said horizontal conveyor, said vertical conveyor being mounted solely on the rear side of said tanks in order to provide access for the operator in front of said tanks, catches on said vertical conveyors seizing the rear end of said material carriers while supported by said horizontal con,- veyor, and means controlling said catches and said material carriers-for disengagement of said material carriers from said catches at the front end of each of said tanks causing seizure of said material carriers at the end of the lrun through each of said tanks to lift the materialout of said tanks and said catches for said material carriers `comprising a member having a bore ared inthe direction of travel and pivotally mounted on said vertical conveyor, and said material carriers comprising a rod bridging said tanks and resting with both of its ends on said horizontal conveyor and each of said material carriers having a bent-down'end on the side facing said vertical conveyor and entering said bore of said member.

6. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 5, which includes a clamping device extending into said bore of said member and secured to the latter to retain said bent-down part of said material carrier in said member, and Vcontrol members iixedly mounted at the point of transfer from said horizontal conveyor to said vertical conveyor to operate said clamping device.

7. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 5, which includes clamps pivotally secured to said members and enclosing said transport chain from both sides to prevent said members from pivoting, and ixedly mounted control cams which at the points of reserval of the movement of said transport chain engage and disengage, respectively, the connection between said chain and said member.

8. The apparatus, as set forth in claim l, wherein said vertical conveyor comprises a plurality of separate endless chains disposed on the rear side of said tanks and having an upwardly moving strand and a downwardly moving strand, said chains being provided with said catches for said rmaterial vcarriers*l and each of said chains moving Y vefticallyat the points o f transfer from one of said tanks to the'neXt adjacent of said tanks and at the end of the last ofsaidftanks,V and transfer means disposed at' the upperfpoints of reversalrof said chains, said transfer means receiving the `incoming catch onsaid upwardly moving strand ofsaid chain and passing said catch over the point ofY reversal in its vertical position.

. of the last of said tanks, a plurality of material carriers Y Vfor the supportv of said material, a horizontal conveyor disposedin front of and in the rear of said tanks and supporting said material carriers for horizontal movement at a 'level above'saidftanks andV passing said material through said tanks, Ya vertical conveyor immersing said material supported Vby-Ysaid carriers into each of said tanks and lifting said material carriers from said horizontal con- L veyor'at the end of each runthrogh said tanks, dipping said material again into theV next adjacentofsaid tanks Y and depositing said-material'carriers to said horizontal conveyor, said'evertical conveyorbeing Ymounted solely Y on theerear sideI of said tanks in order'to provide access 1 for theoperatorin front of` said' tanks, catchesV onV said' vertical conveyorsseizing the' reareend of saidmaterial Y caniersawhilersu'pported by said horizontal conveyor, and means controlling said catches and said material carriers for disengagement Yof said material carriers from said l catches at the front end of each of said tanks causing seizure of said material carriers at the'end of therun through each of said tanks to lift the material out of said tanks, said vertical conveyor comprising a plurality of separate endless chains disposed on the rear side of said Y tanks and having an upwardlyl moving strand and a downn wardly moving'strand, said chains being provided with said catches yforsaid material carriers and each of said chains' moving vertically -at the points of transfer from one ofl said tanks to the nextV adjacent of said tanks and `at the end of the last of said tanks, andV transfer means disposed atthc upper points of reversal of said chains, said transfer means receiving the incoming catch onV said upwardly moving strand of said chain andpassing said rcatch over the'point ofreversal in its vertical position, and each of said transfer means comprising a slide receiving said catch and a double crank moving said slide -into itsfinitial position after the transfer of each ofrsaid catches. l Y y 10. The apparatus, Vas set forth in claim 1, which includes means for retaining vsaid material carriers arriving Y onsaid horizontal conveyor and for transferring said material carriersito said catches `on*l said vertical conveyor Y passing said horizontal conveyor. Y

141. An apparatus for handling and processing photographic 'material' and developing roll films, kcomprising a wall. Y Y Y I Y References Cited inthe le of this patent u UNITED STATES VPATEIRITS Y 1,061,667 Gerhard j r May 13, 1913 1,525,363 VBoyce Y V Y Feb. 3, 1925 :1,670,673 Williams May 22, 1928 Y 2,194,345 Winans Y ..'V Mar. 19, 1940 2,378,217 Hansen Y V c ,s-June 12, 1945 Y y Y FoRE/VIGN PATENTS Y Y #553,453 Germany" June 2s, 1932 .707,128 Y France 1 'Apr. 13, 1931 1952 8 pluralityof'tanks complementary I in'nu'mber with that of theA operations to be performed, separated from each other Vand individuallyremovable, a loadingfstation for said materialto berdeveloped arranged in front of and at the head Yofthe Yfirst of said tanks, a Vdelivery station toV receive said processed Vmaterialdarrailged'at the end of the last of said tanks, a plurality of material carriers for the'support of said materialra horizontal conveyor disposed in -front of andv in the rearof saidV tanks and supporting saidimaterial carriers for horizontal movement at a level above Vsaid tanks andV passing `said material through said tanks, Valvertical conveyor immersing said material supported by VsaidV carriers vinto each'of said tanks-and Ylifting saidf-material carriers 'from said horizontal conveyor Yat the end of eachVI run through said tanks, dipping said material againV intothe neXt'adja/cent of said tanks and depositingsaid material carriers to-`said`hori zontal` conveyor, said vertical conveyor'being mounted 'solelyon therear'side'of s aid tanksV in 'order to provide access YforV the Voperator* in front of said tanks, catches on said vertical conveyorsr'seizing the'rear end of Said material carriers while supported by said horizontal conveyors, and means vcontrolling'said catches and said material carriers-for ydis'e'ngagernent of said material carriers from said catches at thefront endrof each of said tanks causing l' seizureV of said material carriersfratthe end of the-run through each of saidtanks toV lift the material outrof said tanks and` means forretaining said material carriersarriving'on saidfhorizontal conveyor 4and for transferringsaid material Ycarriers vto said catches on said vertical conveyor passing said horizontall conveyor, and said -retaining means comprising pivotable jaws journalled` on both sides of said horizontal conveyor, said jaws seizing said material carrier and retaining the latter until received by an upwardly movingfcatch, and vmeans for returning said jaws into their initial position after each transfer operation.

l2. rPhe apparatus,as setforth in claimV 1, wherein eachrof'said tanks, each of said vertical conveyors and said horizontal conveyorfolm self-contained units in order to permit of Vassembly* of any one of a plurality of said units.

13. The apparatus, as set forth in `claim 1,`which includes a partitionV wall disposed between said vertical conveyor and said tanks andY having slots to allow for said catches for said material carrier to extend through said VGermany l. vr '.4. Feb. Y2,5, 

